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1988 Bertram 54

Discussion in 'Bertram Yacht' started by wannapost50, Apr 19, 2016.

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  1. wannapost50

    wannapost50 New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2014
    Messages:
    17
    Location:
    Newport Beach, CA
    Hi I'm new to the forum, very glad to find all of this Bertram and Detroit knowledge in one place. We are closing on a super clean 54 in a few days, I'm not sure if I should be terrified or really excited. I'm not new to the Bertram family I have owned a 31 Fly Bridge Cruiser (Cummins Powered) for 12 years. My lovely wife and I are empty nesters our last kid is graduating from college in a few weeks (thank god). Long story endless we have been doggedly looking for a three stateroom / galley up boat for about a year or two. Having owned the 31 for so long and growing up on a 48 Pacemaker Sport Fish we pretty much know what we want. I was very close to buying a 53 foot Viking in Cabo San Lucas that had a blown up 10 cyl Man that somebody had run the snot out of, considered a Post 50 but being on the West Coast there just are not that many out here, looked at a 58 Hatteras with 1292's and just thought it was too much boat. For whatever reason I never considered a big Bertram I think astheticaly they just weren't as appealing to me. Selection is better for these older battle wagons on the east coast or Florida than So. Cal. we literally had plane tickets and an appointment with a broker in Miami, three days before we were scheduled to leave my wife finds the 54 on Yacht World 10 minutes from where we live. The boat has been maintained with an open checkbook for the last decade, it's spent most of the time in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama cared for and run by the same guy that loved the boat and Detroits more than most people love life. His life consisted of taking care of a bad ass boat in Paradise with no budget who wouldn't be happy ? Sorry for the ridiculously long intro, I do have a point and a couple of questions! Growing up with Detroits I kind of know what I'm getting into and I'm planning on rebuilding them within a few hundred hours, they smoke when cold but clear up right away in gear (2300 hours) they are NON DDEC motors I think 1050 hp. Run really well turn 2400 RPM netting 26 - 27 knots balls out, and cruises 18 -19 knots all day at 1850. I'm budgeting about $60K per motor, for kits, coolers and cooling system gone through, turbos and blowers rebuilt etc. (In-Frame) Am I out of line ? There are a ton of systems I'm not familiar with, I am mechanically inclined and enjoy maintaining my boat but rebuilding 1000 hp main engines is outside my bubble. I know enough about 12 Volt wiring to keep my boat from burning down but throw in 32V, 24V, and hell 50AMP 240V for fun makes me a little nervous. 2 Onan gensets, seems like 20 Cruise Air AC units and enough Foruna Navnets to get me to the moon and back and it all seems like a lot ! It's not the potential cost that freaks me out it's the shear number of systems, everything running good at the same time seems like a noteworthy big deal ! I was sold the minute the boat plowed through a nice 5 foot wave on the sea trial like it wasn't even there. One thing I do know is anybody that says a Bertram 31 is a wet boat has not been on a Bertram 54.
  2. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2005
    Messages:
    14,432
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    Are they 12v92's or 12v71's? $60k per engine for rebuilds is actually a little high, but better to plan on the high side.....a major on 71's generally runs $40k and $45-50k on 92's (12 cyl). Then there are the what ifs..... if they're 71's don't even THINK of rebuilding them if they're in good condition and those hours. They'll go 5-6000 hours in that boat. If they're 92's with those hours I'd prepare for it and then run them till you NEED a rebuild.

    If you know 12 volt, you know 24 and 32 volt, it's the same principle, only difference is the battery setup is different. All your systems connections and such are the same as 12 volt just 24 or 32 volt.

    Generators I'd just replace when the time comes rather than rebuild. You can spend $6k on all the small parts on them without even rebuilding the engine and the newer technology on the new ones is nice.

    A 54' is not that wet if you have the fuel in the right place. You're a little underpropped, but would rather be under propped than over and chances are the boat was lighter than usually will be on the sea trial. Keep a REALLY good eye on anything screwed or bolted into the decks and make sure it's bedded properly. The decks on those boats get soft pretty easily. Just be careful, do your research on the systems, and maintain them......I know the amount of systems is mind boggling but you'll get the hang of them. Some systems would be better to replace when they fail than fix..... like if it has galley maid heads, you can put new Raritans in that are pretty simple for the same money as rebuilding the galley maid stuff.
  3. Ormond Bert54

    Ormond Bert54 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2009
    Messages:
    470
    Location:
    Ormond Beach, FL
    When it comes time to rebuild, do yourself a huge favor and pull the engines and have them built on the stand at the shop. It seems like some work to take apart the interior but it's nothing compared to the half ass and hugely expensive job that will be done on your engines in-hull. It's one of the biggest lessons I learned. Remove the big rear window .. remove the couch and take up the floor in the salon. There are two 4x8 panels on the floor (under the carpet or teak/holly) that come up easily. The engines can come out complete with a crane through the rear window and go back in the same way. The boat stays in the water. Just back it up to the dock where the crane is. With the engine(s) out, best time to have at the generators, water heater, air conditioning units etc. Agreed that the Galley Maid toilets were one of my hardest lessons learned. The Raritans are wonderful. Have fun!
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2016
  4. RT46

    RT46 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 22, 2011
    Messages:
    1,058
    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    I love the OPs name "wannapost50"
  5. wannapost50

    wannapost50 New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2014
    Messages:
    17
    Location:
    Newport Beach, CA
    They are 1292's, thanks for the good advice
  6. wannapost50

    wannapost50 New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2014
    Messages:
    17
    Location:
    Newport Beach, CA
    Well we thought we wanted a Post 50 !
  7. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2005
    Messages:
    14,432
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    I'd rather have one.
  8. wannapost50

    wannapost50 New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2014
    Messages:
    17
    Location:
    Newport Beach, CA
    We brought the boat home about 15 miles down the coast and it ran well, went to Catalina for the weekend the next day and I'm very pleased. I have some vibration issues on the port side, there was a small ding in that prop. Vibration is worse at speed. I'm going to have the props and shafts done as soon as possible, unfortunately this time of year most every yard is backed until July. Along with the prop and shaft work I need a bottom and I have a side scanning sonar tube that was abandoned that I don't plan to use so I would like to have it removed at the same time. I'm thinking of running the boat down to Ensenada and having the work done there it's about 120 miles south I was planning on running at hull speed. The transmissions are ZF BW 195, and are 1.5:1 ratio. I know this is an impossible question to answer without visually hearing and seeing what's going on. Am I plain crazy stupid to even consider this an option ?